Phyllis Rubenstein grew up in Buffalo, New York, where she enjoyed hiking with her family in Allegheny and Letchworth State Parks and car-camping at Evangola State Park. While living in NYC in her early 20’s, she went on her first backpacking trip, hiking the southern two-thirds of the Northville-Lake Placid Trail in the Adirondacks.
After moving to Vermont in 1988, Phyllis began hiking in the Green Mountains, as well in the Adirondacks, and the White Mountains. She section hiked both the LT and the AT over the course of several years. After completing the AT, Phyllis wanted to share her passion for backpacking with others and offered to lead section-hikes of the Long Trail. GMC members joined her for two week-ends and she completed the rest of her second section-hike alone.
Phyllis is an Adirondack 46er and has hiked all the 4,000 footers in the Whites. To change up the scenery, she has also hiked the John Muir Trail in California, the Wonderland Trail in Washington, and the Walker’s Haute Route in the French and Swiss Alps. Phyllis waited for retirement from her private law practice in 2023 to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.
When Phyllis joined the Montpelier Section of the Green Mountain Club in about 1989, she attended one outing and decided everyone was much older than she. She remained a section member but didn’t resume activities with the club until about 2004. Within a few years, she became a trip leader for hiking, paddling, and cross-country skiing events and also served as secretary of the Montpelier section for a few years. Phyllis is also a Vermont Master Naturalist, and a Volunteer Alpine Steward and Volunteer Hut Naturalist for the AMC. She served for about 5 years on the Montpelier Conservation Commission.
